Outgoing European Time Trial Champion Marlen Reusser wants to defend her title in Munich

Outgoing European Time Trial Champion Marlen Reusser wants to defend her title in Munich

"Want to be on top of the 'mountain' again"

16/08/2022

Marlen Reusser is experiencing a whimsical 2022. The European time trial champion showed her skills by winning the fourth stage of the Tour de France Femmes. However, she also had to deal with a lot of bad luck in France and literally fell off the road due to a concussion sustained in a crash. This disrupted her preparations for the European Championships, but that doesn't take away from Reusser's ambitions. "I'm going flat out for that second title in a row."

Linked cyclists Marlen Reusser

In 2021 you became European Time Trial Champion. What does that win mean to you? 
"That title is really important to me, because it was my very first international title that I won after my victory in the 2019 European Games. In 2020, the European Championships in Plouay were a disappointment. I had super legs, but had to deal with a mechanical problem. Nevertheless, I still finished third. At the World Championships I also missed out twice and I won silver in the Olympics, but in Trentino last year I had a top day. Everything fell into place and I became European champion. That was a relief." 

Are you now living more confidently towards the European Time Trial Championships in Munich? 
"At a time trial you always start from scratch. It remains a challenge. Ellen Van Dijk finished second at the European Championships in Trentino, but at the World Championships she beat me by ten seconds. Time trial is a discipline in itself. Sometimes I like it, but sometimes I don't."

Time trial is about dealing with yourself. You go so deep, you are constantly looking for the limit that you can hold on to the longest. It is a mental challenge.

Marlen Reusser

Explain yourself.
"It's one of the toughest things you can do, at least if you do it right. Time trial is about dealing with yourself. You go so deep, you're constantly looking for the limit you can hold on to the longest. It is a mental challenge. You have to go flat out from the first to the last second, because you can lose by a tenth of a second. That's what makes time trial so interesting."

You could only ride in your European champion's jersey once this year. Is that an incentive to win it again? 
"Definitely. There are too few time trials in women's cycling. The WorldTour should add a worthy time trial to the calendar. This year there was only the prologue in the Giro and the team time trial in Vargarda. Due to a fall in the Women's Tour and a Covid infection, I also missed the Tour de Suisse. I was really looking forward to that because it included a full ITT. Also, I could not defend my national titles. I regret that, but there are worse things in life."

In the Tour de France Femmes you took a nice stage win, but had to leave the race with a concussion.
"My preparation for this European Championship was far from optimal, but since I can train again, I train really hard. The upcoming European Championship is a new challenge and I know it will be tough, but I'm looking forward to defending my title. To finish with a metaphor: there is a mountain coming and I want to climb it successfully."

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